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UAE | Crime

Cocaine smuggler jailed for ten years

A court has confirmed a 10 year jail sentence for a South African visitor who handed over a bag containing cocaine to a policeman at Dubai airport.

By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
Published: 00:07 October 2, 2008

Dubai A court has confirmed a 10 year jail sentence for a South African visitor who handed over a bag containing cocaine to a policeman at Dubai airport.

The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the initial verdict, ten years in jail and a Dh50,000 fine, for the 39-year-old, M.V., who earlier pleaded guilty to smuggling cocaine which he admitted he intended to send to Switzerland.

Intent to export

He will be deported after serving his sentence.

Records show an Emirati policeman initially thought the South African was joking when he approached the counter at Dubai International Airport to hand over the drugs.

"He said he was carrying cocaine and wanted to hand it over," the 22-year-old policeman testified. "I informed my supervisor who took him to a search room.

"We found ten pouches of suspected drugs inside one of his bags."

The Public Prosecution charged the South African with smuggling and possessing approximately 4.3kg of cocaine with the intention of exporting it from the country.

The visitor confessed during interrogation at the Public Prosecution that a Nigerian suspect had asked him to transport the cocaine to someone in Zurich, Switzerland.